Thirty undocumented foreigners attempting to leave Malaysia via a boat have been detained by the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA). On Saturday (Nov 4), the MMEA captured the group, which includes four women, in the waters of Port Dickson. Captain Maritim Iskandar Ishak, the MMEA chief for Negri Sembilan and Melaka, stated that the agency’s radar detected a suspicious vessel heading towards Tg Rhu in Sepang at approximately 10 pm. Following the MMEA’s attempt to intercept the boat, it attempted to flee but was pursued by the agency’s asset. A collision occurred between the two vessels, leading to the sinking of the boat carrying the foreigners. Fortunately, the MMEA officers managed to rescue everyone on board, although none of the detainees were wearing life jackets. Among them, there were 29 Indonesians and one individual from Myanmar. None of them possessed valid travel documents, resulting in an investigation under the Immigration Act 1959/63.
The rescued individuals are aged between 21 and 63.
Captain Ishak emphasized the MMEA’s commitment to monitoring territorial waters to prevent illegal immigration. He believes that both foreign and local agents are involved in these illicit activities, which endanger the lives of passengers and involve exorbitant charges.Captain Ishak also urged anyone with information about such activities to contact the MMEA operations line at 06-3876 730 or emergency services at 999, which both operate 24/7.
